Hopper construction for stokers



' Jan. 5, 1932. R. L. BEERS 1,839,826

HOPPER CONSTRUCTION FOR STOKERS Filed Nov. 4, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR ATTORNEYS Jan. 5, 1932. R. BEERS HOPPER CONSTRUCTION FORSTOKERS Filed NOV. 4, 1929 2 Sheets-Shee 2 R O T N E v m ATTORN EY-S'Patented Jan. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES ROYCE IL. BEER/S, 013 DETROIT,MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO 015 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION nraorr scramCOMPANY, or MICHIGAN HOPPER CONSTRUCTION FOR STOKERS Application filedNovember 4, 1929. Serial No. 404,747.

This invention relates to stokers, and more especially to a constructionand arrangement of parts tending to simplify, render more efficient andimprove generally devices of this character.

In the type of stokers, to which this invention pertains, it isparticularly desirable and advantageous to have the fuel hopperdischarge into the ram casing at a point in' close proximity to thefront wall of the furnace. However, with such an arrangement difficultyhas heretofore been experienced in providing suflicient clearance forthe boiler furnace doors. To overcome this difficulty the fuel hopper iscut back or spaced from the furnace wall to provide the desiredclearance and is connected to the ram casing by means of a relativelyrestricted throat portion.

While such a construction and arrangement of parts affords sufiicientclearance between the fuel hopper and the front wall of the furnace,difliculty is sometimes experienced in obtaining a constant uniform feedof the fuel through the relatively restricted front portion essentialwith an arrangement of this nature. To this end the present inventioncontemplates as another feature of importance thereof the provision ofagitating means arranged within the fuel hopper and extending into thethroat portion thereof and acting to feed the fuel uniformly andconstantly to the ram casing during the operation of the stoker.

Another important object of the invention is to provide meanssforoperating the agitator from a part of the stoker mechanism, forinstance, the sliding bearing of the lost motion ram actuatingmechanism, whereby the agitator will be operated at all times with amaximum stroke irrespective of the length of the stroke of the ram. Thepresent construction also contemplates as an important feature thereofthe operation of the agitator directly from the crank bearing orconnecting rod as distinguished from heretofore known practices wherebycompactness and simplicity of construction is obtained.

Another advantageous structural feature of the invention is theprovision of a removable plate over the throat section of the hopperwhereby this portion thereof is rendered readily accessible.

The present invention contemplates further novel details of constructionof practical commercial advantage in this art.

The several objects, advantages and novel details of construction ofthis invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds,especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings,wherein a Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an automaticstoker furnace constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view takensubstantially on a plane indicated by line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the fuel hopper detached;

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view through the hopper taken on aplane indicated byline 4-4 in Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken substantially onthe plane indicated by line 55 in Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like referencecharacters indicate like parts, and particularly Figure 1, it will benoted that there is fragmentarily illustrated a furnace 10 provided witha retort having a portion 11 extending forwardly of the front wall ofthe furnace. The reference character 12 indicates a motor which drives acrank shaft 13 through suitable reduction gearing. The referencecharacter 14 indicates generally the ram'casing for the fuel feeding ram15 (see Figure 2). The adjacent end of the ram casing 14 is connected tothe flanged throat portion 16 of the retort.

The ram 15 is reciprocated by means of a connecting or pitman rod 17 onwhich is slidably arranged a sleeve-like bearing member 18, the latterbeing connected to the crank portion 19 of the crank shaft 13, andpartaking of the maximum throw thereof at all times. The connecting rodis pivotally connected to the ram, as indicated at 20. The slidablesleeve-like member engages with one of its ends against a fixed abutment21, carried by the connecting rod and at its other end against anadjustable abutment 22, the latter being here shown in the form of asleeve 23, which may be adjustably secured to the connecting rod bymeans of a pin 24 passed through the abutment sleeve 22 and any one of aplurality of apertures 25 formed in the connecting rod. Thus anadjustable lost motion connection is provided for driving the fuelfeeding ram 15.

The fuel hopper 26 is out back or positioned at a point suflicientlyremoved from the front wall of the furnace to provide ample clearancefor the boiler furnace doors. The hopper proper has connected thereto oris formed with a relatively restricted neck-like or throat portion 27,which communicates with the ram casing 14 by means of an aperture oropening 28 in the top wall thereof. The arrangement is such that whilethe hopper is spaced sufficiently from the front wall of the furnace toprovide the necessary clearance for the doors, the contents of thehopper are discharged into the ram casing at a point closely adjacentthe front wall of the furnace. It will be obvious that the fueldeposited in the ram casing is then fed by means of the ram into theretort.

The wall of the hopper most remote from the front wall of the furnace isprovided with a pair of spaced apertured ears 29, with which a pair ofears 30, formed on the. ram casing cooperate. A pin orbolt 31 is passedthrough the aligned apertures in the ears 29 and 30 for securing thehopper at this point to the ram case. The opposite wall of the hopper isprovided with a loop or eye 32, which cooperates with an ear 33 formedalso on the ram casing, the aligned openings in the eye 32 and ear 33receiving a bolt or pin 34 for securing the hopper at that point to theram casing.

The hopper is further braced and supported by means of rods 35 bolted,as at 36, to the retort, these rods passing through apertured clips 37secured to the hopper and being provided with nuts 38 threaded on to therods and arranged on opposite sides of the clip, so that the tension ofthese braces may be adjusted.

One wall of the throat portion of the hopper is in the form of aremovable plate 39 provided with longitudinally extending side flanges39' which engage the side walls of the hopper throat. In securing theremovable plate 39 in place the lower end thereof is inserted underplate 40' and the other end thereof is secured in position by means of athumb nut 40. The arrangement is such as to render the interior of thehopper accessible for cleaning or other purposes.

Arranged adjacent the rear inclined wall 41 of the hopper is an agitatorfor agitating the fuel within the hopper ,to cause the same tofeed'uniformly and constantlfy to the ram casing during the operation 0the stoker. While this agitator may be of any preferred design orconstruction, it is here shown as comprising a longitudinal centermember 42 provided with a plurality of transverse or oppositelyextending pins or projections 43. A guide strap 44 is bolted to the wall41 of the hopper for guiding the agitator during its reciprocation.

By extending the agitator into the throat portion 27 of the hopper, aconstant uniform feed of the fuel through this relatively restrictedarea is insured.

Reciprocal movement is imparted to the agitator by means of a bell crank45 which may be conveniently mounted upon the bolt or pin 31 previouslyreferred to. The short arm 46 of the bell crank is pivotally connected,as at 47, to the main part 42 of the agitator adjacent the lower end ofthe latter, while the longer arm 48 of the bell crank is pivotallyconnected, as at 49, to a connecting link 50, which in turn is pivotallyconnected, as at 51, to :1. lug or ear 52 carried by the sleeve member18. The short arm 46 of the bell crank extends through a slot in thehopper wall 41 and through a similar slot in a wear plate 53 upon whichthe agitator reciprocates. With a construction of this nature themovement of the sleeve-like member 18 during the reciprocation of theram will cause a reciprocatory movement to be imparted to the agitator,as best seen in Figure 2. 'By arranging the agitator adjacent the lowerinclined wall 41 of the hopper, any movement imparted to the agitatorwill cause a positive agitation and feeding of the fuel to the ramcasing, as will be apparent. While the particular means forreciprocating the agitator has, in practice, been found to giveuniformly satisfactory results, it will be obvious that this agitatormay be actuated in various other ways.

Obviously, the sleeve member 18 partakes, at all times, of the maximumthrow of the crank portion of the crank shaft, and by actuating theagitator from this member 18 the agitator will be operated with amaximum throw irrespective of the length of the stroke of the fuelfeeding ram. Moreover, it has frequently heretofore been the practice toactuate agitators from a more remote point on the crank shaft, forinstance, the end; but in the present arrangement the agitator isconnected and operated directly from the crank bearing or connectingrod. This provides a comp act and extremely simple and efli- V cientarrangement.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that portion of the hopper intothe ram casing and then by meansof the ram into the retort. The

construction and arrangement of parts is simple, so that devicesconstructed in accordance with the invention may be quickly,economically and durably manufactured and assembled with facility.Similarly, adequate means is provided for rigidly mounting andsupporting the hopper, and the shape of the latter is such as to permitready access to the doors and other furnace structure.

Vhile an embodiment of the invention has been described and illustratedherein somewhat in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in thisart that changes in many of the non-essential details of constructionmay be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of thisinvention, and to this end reservation is made to make such changes asmay come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a furnace wall having a door therein and a ramcasing projecting therefrom, of a fuel hopper spaced a suflicientdistance from said wall to provide clearance for said diior and providedwith a relatively restricted throat portion-connecting into said ramcasing at a point closely adjacent said wall, and a fuel agitatorassociated with the said throat portion of the said hopper.

2. In a stoker construction, a retort, a fuel feeding ram therefor,means including a pit man rod for actuating said ram, a fuel hopper, anagitator in said hopper, and means connected to said pitman rod foractuating said agitator.

3. In a stoker construction, a retort, a fuel feeding ram therefor,means for actuating said ram including a pitman rod, a fuel hopper, anagitator in said hopper and means including a bell crank connecting saidpitman rod to said agitator for actuating the latter.

4. In a stoker construction, the combination with a retort, a fuelfeeding ram therefor and means for driving said ram including a pitmanrod, of a fuel hopper, a reciprocating agitator arranged in said hopperand means including articulated members connecting said pitman rod :tosaid agitator for reciprocating the latter.

cluding a pivotally mounted bell crank having one arm connected to saidagitator and the other arm thereof connected to an element of said lostmotion connection.

7. The combination with a furnace wall having a door therein and a ramcasing projecting therefrom, of a fuel hopper spaced from said wall adistance suificient to provide clearance for said door and having arelatively restricted throat portion connecting said hopper to the ramcasing at a point closely adjacent said wall.

8. The combination with a furnace wall having an outwardly swinging doortherein and a ram casing projecting therefrom, of a fuel hopper spacedfrom said wall to provide suflicient clearance for said door and havingan inclined throat portion connecting said hopper to said ram casing ata point intermediate said hopper and furnace'wall and a fuel agitatorassociated with the throat portion of the said hopper.

9. In a stoker construction, fuel feeding means, actuating meanstherefor including a lost motion connection, a fuel hopper, an agitatorassociated therewith and means for actuating said agitator connected toa movable part of said lost motion connection.

10. In a stoker construction, a retort, a fuel feeding ram therefor, acrank shaft, a lost motion connection between said ram and crank shaft,including a pitman rod and a member connected to the crank portion ofthe crank shaft and slidably engaging said pitman rod; a fuel hopper, anagitator therefor and means for actuating said agitator connected to themember of said lost motion connection which is carried by said crankshaft.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ROYCE L. BEERS.

5. In a stoker construction, a retort, a fuel feeding ram therefor,means for actuating said ram. including a crank shaft, a pitman rod anda lost motion connection between said pitman rod and crank shaft, :1.fuel agitator reciprocally mounted in said hopper, and means foractuating said agitator connected to the latter and to an element ofsaid lost motion connection.

6. In a stoker construction, a retort, a fuel feeding ram therefor,means for actuating said ram including a crank shaft, a pitman rod and alost motion connection between said pitman rod and crank shaft, 9. fueltator reciprocally mounted in said hopper,

and means for actuating said agitator in-

